Great Barrier Beer: Drink a beer, save a reef

We are fans of social causes that benefit our reefs and oceans. We are also fans of a tasty beer. Australia’s Good Beer Company is combining the two in their “Great Barrier Beer: Drink beer. Save The Reef.” campaign that will…

Reefer’s eye view of dying corals on the Great Barrier Reef

For the past two to three weeks, the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef has been all over the news, and there’s hardly a day that goes by that new pictures and reports come in of how dire the situation…

Corals inside no-take zones are more resilient to natural disturbances

As marine biodiversity continues to decline it is important we maximize the effectiveness of conservation efforts. The Great Barrier Reef is facing multiple threats from natural and man-made natural disturbances but for the first time, researchers at the Australian Institute of…

Why Reef Building corals are being hit the hardest by coral bleaching

Coral reefs are under existential threat. This year alone large scale bleaching has been observed on 500 separate coral reefs along the Great Barrier Reef, and up to 50% of bleached corals from in water surveys have already died, in…

First damages of the 2016 global coral mass bleaching event

An interview of leading coral expert Prof. Terry Hughes was recently published in a video. An areal survey reveals the first major damage of ENSO-induced warming on the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Countless bleached reefs, hanging like white ghosts…

Worst mass coral bleaching event in history

The Australian ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies has released aerial survey footage of what they are calling the worst mass coral bleaching event in history. The aerial survey documented more than 500 coral reefs from Cairns Australia to…

Virus outbreaks may be linked to coral bleaching event

Significant outbreaks of viruses may be associated with coral reef bleaching events, especially as a result of multiple environmental stresses including rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. A recent study at Oregon State University has documented a virus outbreak, including a…

Australia Seeks Corporate Sponsors for Great Barrier Reef

The Australian government is turning to corporate sponsorships and partnerships to help raise funds to deliver conservation projects on the Great Barrier Reef. While this is a unique way of infusing capital into much needed programs, many are wondering if companies could…

What you should know about the Crown-of-Thorns starfish

Acanthaster planci, more commonly known as the Crown-of-Thorn starfish, is a voracious predator which feeds on stony coral polyps. The starfish gets its name from the toxic thorn-like spines covering its body, which resemble a biblical “crown of thorns”. The…

The Great Barrier Reef Foundations announced the Winner of the 2015 Bommie Award

Patrick Buerger, a German-born PhD candidate from the Townsville’s Australian Institute of Marine Science has been awarded the grand prize of $5000 AUS for his 360 degree film titled, Coral disease treatment with phage therapy. Buerger’s creative use of technology…